Redefining success and overcoming burnout.
Bio for Eric Recker
Dr. Eric Recker is a dentist, husband, father, keynote speaker, Elite Success Coach, author, pilot, mountain climber, and recovering triathlete. In the second half of his life, he is committed to helping people shorten the distance to becoming their best selves and learning to #WINtheNOW.
Episode highlight
Born and raised in the small town of Pella, Iowa, Dr. Eric recounts how early experiences with rejection and adversity shaped his drive for success and self-improvement. As he opens about his personal and professional struggles, particularly dealing with burnout, he shares the pivotal moments that led him to reassess his life’s direction. He discusses the importance of relationships, finding joy in the journey, and the power of effective self-care.
Listen as Dr. Eric imparts wisdom on living in the present and making a difference, reminding us that resilience isn’t about enduring hardship but about building a life filled with purpose and gratitude.
Links
- Website: https://ericrecker.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-recker-583849278/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eric.recker.1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/docrecker/
Quotes
- “I believe that our journeys don’t happen by accident. Our journeys happen so that we can help other people on their journeys.”
- “I think if you never have any rejection, then you are just building up to this horrific experience when you get your first rejection.”
- “I learned that if you want to be the most interesting person in the room, it’s not the person who says the most or has the best stories. It’s the person who’s the best listener.”
Takeaways
Childhood Incidents
Dr. Eric recalls his childhood in Iowa, where recess revolved around kickball. As a young child, he was not athletic and was repeatedly told he wasn’t good enough to play. Not only was he not picked last, he wasn’t picked at all. This constant rejection shaped his identity, leading him to believe he was inadequate.
Determined to prove his worth, he resolved to excel at everything, ensuring he would never be overlooked again. However, this relentless drive led to burnout in multiple areas of his life, nearly causing him to sell his dental practice. Reflecting on his experience, he acknowledges the lasting impact of words spoken during childhood and their powerful ripple effect.
At an eighth-grade end-of-year party, Dr. Eric arrived full of excitement, dressed in khaki pants, a pink shirt, a paisley tie, and sporting puffy hair. Brimming with confidence, he asked out five different girl only to face rejection each time. By the time he approached the fifth girl, she pointed out that he had just asked her friend out moments earlier. Realizing it was time to call it a night, he decided to cut his losses and move on.
Influential Groups
Dr. Eric’s faith has been a cornerstone of his life. He believes that he is never alone. God is always with him in every situation.
Family has always been incredibly important to him. He fondly remembers spending Sunday afternoons at a nearby lake, building forts, making fires, and enjoying simple moments with loved ones. These Sundays became a cherished tradition of exploration, joy, and rest.
During his time as a triathlete, he joined a local triathlon club, where training sessions went beyond fitness, they became opportunities to share life experiences. As a deeply relational person, he valued these connections and learned the significance of having close friends to rely on in times of need. While he hasn’t faced many crisis moments, he has both offered and received support when it mattered. He believes isolation is dangerous and that meaningful relationships are essential to a fulfilling life.
As an adult, Dr. Eric continued his pursuit of growth and service by joining the Academy of General Dentistry, where he earned both a fellowship and a mastership advanced degree. Over four to five years of coursework, he built strong connections with fellow members, spending weekends learning and advancing together.
He also found deep fulfillment in mission work, traveling abroad to provide dental care. His journeys took him to India, Guatemala, and Abaco in The Bahamas. Additionally, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and served on the board of Many Hands, an organization dedicated to making a difference. Being part of something larger than himself has remained a guiding principle throughout his life.
Personality and Temperament
Dr. Eric reflects on his childhood as a naturally curious and excited kid who wanted to explore the world and live in the moment. However, along the way, he developed anxiety, largely tied to his reluctance to go to school. Facing bullies and feeling “not good enough” led to a deep fear of Mondays—something he began dreading as early as Saturday night, often referred to as the “Sunday scaries.”
This anxiety created a foundation for future burnout. His father, a dentist, provided him with an incredible opportunity by merging his practice with another when Dr. Eric graduated from dental school. This ensured a full schedule of patients from day one which was both a gift and a challenge. While it gave him immediate career stability, it also meant there was no gradual onboarding he was thrown straight into the deep end, believing that was simply the way things were supposed to be.
As an adult, Dr. Eric came to understand the importance of self-care, something he had neglected for much of his journey. Early in his career, he believed the answer to every challenge was simply to do more. He kept pushing himself, adding more responsibilities without realizing the toll it was taking.
Now, Dr. Eric is deeply grateful, recognizing that each day is a gift. He has come to appreciate the beauty of relationships and the privilege of being invited into others’ stories. Helping people create a path forward has become a meaningful part of his life.
He has also realized that many individuals struggle with despair, lacking hope and direction amid the chaos of their lives. Being able to step into that space, quiet the chaos, and guide them toward hope is one of the greatest gifts he has experienced.
Cultural Epiphanies
One busy Monday morning, Dr. Eric’s colleague had an accident, leaving him as the only dentist available for a full schedule of patients. Just when he needed support the most, something remarkable happened.
His first patient of the day was a longtime mentor and confidant which was unexpected but deeply reassuring presence. Then, within twenty minutes, his associate dentist, who typically worked later in the week, arrived unprompted and simply said, “I’m here as long as I need to be.”
This moment reinforced for Dr. Eric the profound value of relationships. He realized how incredible it is to have people who show up in difficult times without being asked. It also deepened his belief that society often underestimates the importance of meaningful connections, yet they are one of life’s greatest gifts.
Soapbox Moment
Dr. Eric encourages us to live with hope. He has a resource on his website called “Refueling Hacks,” which offers 50 different ways to practice self-care. He also has a seven-day Knockback Burnout Challenge that you can check out on his website.
For those seeking 1-on-1 coaching with Dr. Eric, he would love to have a conversation with you.
Extro:
Throughout his life, Eric Recker turned incidents of rejection into a fury of efforts to prove he could do anything. Although it earned him several prestigious dentistry degrees, the title of triathlon athlete, and took him to other countries to help the less fortunate, he suffered from extreme burnout. The turning point came when his colleague was in a serious car accident and his professional connections jumped in to help with his. At that moment Dr. Recker realized relationships matter most and no goal or ideal is worth sacrificing your family, friends and health. He now balances part-time dentistry with speaking, writing and coaching to help people suffering from burnout to find their why” and reset by focusing on their purpose in life.
My takeaways from this conversation are:
- Words children hear stick in their memory forever. We need to teach each other – adults and children alike, to speak kindly.
- Professional parents who help their children get started professionally provide a precious gift, but one that comes with unexpected challenges.
- No matter what accolades you have on your resume, nothing matters more than the empathy and listening you show to others and your relationships with them.
